I’ll repost for the sake of someone with a drop of honesty and sechel hayashar….
I wrote on this exact topic years ago, when this ‘thing’ started out, r”l.
So here we have people beseeching, begging, praying for their very dear life, they know their life is in the balance, and on the other side these guys are blithely dancing away… Sure – swaying (swigging.. uch) to the tune of השבינו… yeah. That’s for sure “Return us”… You take a peek at those clippings and you get such a feeling of nausea.. “Ribono Shel Olam, look at our tzaros”, one step in, “we have sinned much”, one step out. “Avos Haolam, our holy forefathers”, one pace forward, “please intercede on our behalf”, two paces back… FEH.
How many people passed away R””L this year, how would they have liked to grab ANY opportunity to push in ONE MORE earnest Tefillah in time….
The fish of yesteryear had more sechel…. Anyone with a drop of sense (sold out) knows that these are solemn days, days of awe, meant for a specific purpose. You guessed right, probably not meant for dancing away the night merrily .. Hardly the main activity fitting for ימים נוראים.
If you must, if you can’t control yourself, go into the privacy of a bathroom and sing your lungs out “אשמנו”, “כי עליך הורגנו”, “ולנו בושת הפנים”… No, I’m not judging you, if you don’t know any better, but kindly leave US out of your urges… no need to publicize it. No need to broadcast your contempt of Heavenly Court. כי הוא נורא ואיום is to be taken at literal sense, whichever direction you read.
How would you think the Navi Yirmiyahu would react knowing that his words השיבנו written with such sorrow, such feeling, such holiness, has turned into the songbooks of “Slichos Concerts” (Vivace tempo). We all know what happens when words of Torah are taken out and made into songs… how much more for this – AND FOR WHAT ITS BEING USED FOR!
To the rest of us, take a cursory glance at the words, let it fill you with the feelings they were meant to convey, to occupy one’s conscious with. Let the words envelope us with the correct sense of dread and awe of the Ribono Shel Olam, His Yom HaDin. Let us cherish these feelings… let us carry over the feelings of these minutes of true Yirah, Teshuva, Ahavha over into our new year.
Let us ALL be gebenched with a Kseiva Vchasima Tova – each and every one of us. May HaShem shower his blessings on us, may he shine His countenance upon us… bless us with very LIFE. A fulfilling, productive life, doing Ratzon HaShem with much health, nachas, wealth. AND TRUE HAPPINESS!!!